Category Archives: History

Social Media, the rebirth of blogging for Pinoy Expats and OFWs – PEBA 2012

Social Media, the rebirth of blogging for Pinoy Expats and OFWs OFWs clamour for an aginaldo or a Christmas present was realized because of their active presence on the social media particularly on facebook with regards to the issue on Philhealth’s mandatory increase of its members’ contribution. Although it was not the first of the few victories that OFWs has achieved with their online campaign, but for the Pinoy Expats/OFW Blog Awards or PEBA it is an affirmation that they are being heard and listened to by the government. It is also a fitting tribute as PEBA celebrates its 5th Annual International Blog and Photo Award.

Architect Greg Villanueva is an old timer who had vivid memories of what it was like generations ago. Ditto with book author Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier who, like Villanueva, is also a long time habitué of what is now Historic Filipinotown. The two were among community leaders who spearheaded the establishment of the Philippine Heritage Collection at the Echo Park public library in Temple St., Los Angeles.

Jonny Itliong (5th from left), son of the late labor leader, is taking the lead in efforts to achieve the honors due his father. Photo is from a celebration called "Pagbabahagi" in Carson, California, in the past. To Mr. Itliong's right is Lito Santarina, then Mayor Pro Tem of the city. At the rostrum is Mayor Jim Dear. Photo by D. Grava.

Our heroic ‘Manongs’ largely forgotten
By Dionesio C. Grava

Another Filipino American Heritage Month drew to a close. May we take a look back on the 425 years of recorded history of our people in the U.S. and their contributions to the economic, cultural and social enhancement of this country.

In his book Rizal Without the Overcoat, Prof. Ambeth Ocampo mentioned that although Jose Rizal was denied his request to face the execution squad, he managed to twist his body at the last moment and fell to the ground with his face to the sky. The way he wanted it.

Ocampo’s book also dealt on the matter of coup de grace. The soldiers granted Rizal’s other request that his head be spared from the damage of gunfire but that in the end the squad leader delivered a fatal shot on that very same spot to make sure Rizal was not feigning

Photo of Company C, 9th US Infantry Regiment with Valeriano Abanador (standing, sixth from right) taken in Balangiga. The provenance of the photograph is uncertain. - Image Source: wikipedia.org

The Balangiga massacre was an incident in 1901 in the town of the same name during the Philippine-American War. It initially referred to the killing of about 48 members of the US 9th Infantry by the townspeople allegedly augmented by guerrillas in the town of Balangiga on Samar island during an attack on September 28 of that year. In the 1960s Filipino nationalists applied it to the retaliatory measures taken on the island. This incident was described as the United States Army’s worst defeat since the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876. Filipinos regard the attack as one of their bravest acts in the war.

Ang Tambuli – is the official Newsletter of ACFIL, started last 2002 up to the present to form and inform the Filipinos in the region regarding the political, social & migration issues especially to those who have the difficulty in comprehending the Italian language. This was financed by the Provincia di Torino for two years and the last 6 years, ACFIL continued the action independently due to the strong demand of the community taking out also the logo of the Provincia di Torino.

Proclamation No. 1081 was the declaration of martial law in the Philippines by President Ferdinand E. Marcos. Once in effect, it covered the entire republic on September 21, 1972. It was announced to the public two days later.

Under the pretext of a staged assassination of his former Defense Minister Juan Ponce Enrile (now Senate President) and an ensuing communist insurgency, Marcos ruled by military power through martial law, altered the Constitution in the subsequent year, made himself both Head of State as President and Head of Government as Prime Minister, manipulated elections and the political arena in the Philippines, and had his political party–Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) (English: New Society Movement) control the unicameral legislative branch of government called the “Batasang Pambansa”. All these allowed Marcos to remain in power.

The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/11)[nb 1] were a series of four suicide attacks that were committed in the United States on September 11, 2001, coordinated to strike areas of New York City and Washington, D.C. On that Tuesday morning, 19 terrorists from the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally piloted two of those planes, American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, into the North and South towers of the World Trade Center complex in New York City; both towers collapsed within two hours. The hijackers also intentionally crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and intended to pilot the fourth hijacked jet, United Airlines Flight 93, into the United States Capitol Building[2] in Washington, D.C.; however, the plane crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after its passengers attempted to take control of the jet from the hijackers. Nearly 3,000 people died in the attacks, including the 246 civilians and 19 hijackers aboard the four planes.

A disturbing video shot in 1983 shows Filipino army personnel boarding a plane and ordering opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr., more commonly called Ninoy Aquino, to disembark. He smiles, but his eyes look wary. Aquino walks out onto the tarmac of the Manila International Airport, while uniformed men prevent his companions from following.

Suddenly the sound of a shot rings through the plane. Aquino’s traveling companions begin to wail; three more shots sound. The western cameraman filming the event captures the image of two bodies lying on the ground, shot to the head.